Lectures

There is No Difference Between the Future and the Past

Assignments

Due Thursday 4/31 - Do the Science Fiction prewrite.

Due Thursday 4/31 - Current events question on the "Richest 400" article from the Wall Street Journal.

Due Wednesday 5/7 - Read Gibson's "Burning Chrome" In one page or so, explain what it is that Gibson's vision about the future is. What things about the future interest him?

Due Thursday 5/8 - Having watched Metropolis by Fritz Lang, find four examples, each, of elements of the film that showed up in T.S. Eliot - The Hollow Men , Dadaism - By Tristan Tzara , and Benito Mussolini: What is Fascism, 1932 .

Due Friday 5/9 - Film review of Metropolis by Fritz Lang.

Due Monday 5/19 - Read The Unibomber Manifesto - THE FUTURE (Chapter 22 maybe) and then write whether or not he is "crazy" in these writings. Given what he has laid out in his screed, what should be done about the problems he laid out?

Due Monday 5/19 - Do the questions for Wovoka's Message: The Promise of the Ghost Dance and The Revelation to John - The Apocalypse

Due Tuesday 5/20 - Quiz on the Wall Street Journal article of food shortages.

Due Friday 5/23 - Archeology of 1973 through film. Having watched Sleeper and Soylent Green , what can you tell about what the early seventies were like from how they viewed the future?

Due Friday 5/23 - Quick write on the three following questions:
1. In your lifetime, will robots (or cyborgs, or machines, or computers) become conscious enough to be considered as people?
2. Should robots ever be allowed equal rights with people?
3. If your son or daughter decides to marry a robot and start a family, what would you do or say to your son or daughter?

Due Friday 5/30 - Film review of Blade Runner by Ridley Scott.

Due Monday 6/2 - Unit essay: Of the films we watched, which seems to have been the most likely version of the future that we face? Explain in depth. Reasons why you didn't choose the others would help you be more convincing.

Due Tuesday 6/3 - Extra credit: Create your own unit.

Films

Metropolis - 1927

"Star Trek" Mirror, Mirror - 1967

2001: A Space Odyssey (only bits and pieces) - 1968

Sleeper - 1973

Soylent Green - 1973

Blade Runner - 1982

Gattaca - 1997

Readings

T.S. Eliot - The Hollow Men

Dadaism - By Tristan Tzara

Wovoka's Message: The Promise of the Ghost Dance

The Revelation to John - The Apocalypse

The Unibomber Manifesto - THE FUTURE (Chapter 22 maybe)

Unit Links (not required)

None so far.